Frustrated at iMessage Intercepting Texts after Switching to Android

I got my new custom Moto X last Thursday. Had already researched all the complaints and completed the fixes (given by all of you greats here on AC) in regards to switching from iOS to Android before activating my Moto X. iMessages is turned off, phone number and all related fruit products have been de-registered/removed from all related device managers. I am continuously missing texts due to most of my contacts owning fruit phones. This is both a personal and business issue and it CANNOT go on any longer. I'm at wits end and do not know what to do. Any help is greatly appreciated!

I just switched from an iphone and was having this issue as well. I ended up changing my appleID password and that seemed to work. Not entirely sure yet if it did. According to this article there is not that much anyone can do about it. But apparently if you stick it out for 30 days without sending an imessage and the account will be automatically deleted from the servers. Its unfortunate that this is an apple problem and not a Motorola problem but apple isn't going to do anything about it. Will Apple Ever Fix the iMessage Text-Killing Problem?

Here's what I've figured out about this iMessage thing. This is based on personal experience and some conjecture, but:

- When you register a phone number with iMessage, Apple puts that number into a database.
- Apple maintains a list of phone numbers that have iMessage associated with them.
- When a user sends a message from an iOS device, the recipient's phone number is checked with that database. If it's in there, it delivers the message through iMessage. When it's not, the message gets routed to the standard SMS system.

It stands to reason, then, that in order to get SMS delivered through your carrier, that phone number must be removed from Apple's database. That means, all iDevices (and Macs) that previously used that number to receive messages need to have that number explicitly removed from the list of possible iMessage contacts. I think that fixed the problem for me (though if I'm missing messages, I might never know, I guess...)

My friend and I just went through this. Turning off Imessage does no good.
Sign into your icloud account on a computer then find your devices. Unregister your iPhone from there. This worked for my friend. I am waiting for my iPhone to be unlocked to do this to mine.

Just like Apple to use something different from the rest of the world to send text/SMS messages. Just like Apples other software... a pain in the A**.. Then when someone wants to change services its a real brew haha to do something else. And dont get me started on iTunes

Just like Apple to use something different from the rest of the world to send text/SMS messages. Just like Apples other software... a pain in the A**.. Then when someone wants to change services its a real brew haha to do something else. And dont get me started on iTunes

It's no different from Moto "Connect" or Google Hangouts for SMS. Just because people actually *use* iMessage doesn't make it different. This is what I hate about some Android users - the blind hatred for Apple. It's kind of ridiculous.

It's no different from Moto "Connect" or Google Hangouts for SMS. Just because people actually *use* iMessage doesn't make it different. This is what I hate about some Android users - the blind hatred for Apple. It's kind of ridiculous.

Actually it's a lot different... that's why there is problems one way and not the other way.

Actually it's a lot different... that's why there is problems one way and not the other way.

Posted via Android Central App

You're right. It's different in that people use it and love it. It's only a problem when people want to quit using it. You'll never hear someone who's actually using iMessage say they hate it. It's pretty great, actually. I wish I could continue to use it.

It's no different from Moto "Connect" or Google Hangouts for SMS. Just because people actually *use* iMessage doesn't make it different. This is what I hate about some Android users - the blind hatred for Apple. It's kind of ridiculous.

It's not nearly that simple. Most of the hatred for Apple is justified.

It's no different from Moto "Connect" or Google Hangouts for SMS. Just because people actually *use* iMessage doesn't make it different. This is what I hate about some Android users - the blind hatred for Apple. It's kind of ridiculous.

No blind hatred here...but there is a difference.

For one, it's not just about "usage", at least not in a direct way.

I'm not very familiar with Moto "Connect", so I'll just focus on Hangouts here... The biggest difference with Hangouts is that when sending messages via Hangouts, you're communicating via a person's GOOGLE ACCOUNT, or in other words, you're pulling their gmail (or Google apps) address from your contact info to identify them. If, from my Android phone I choose to message someone via their phone number, it's always going to send via traditional SMS. iMessage, on the other hand, actually uses the person's PHONE NUMBER to identify them, and is basically intercepting SMS messages and routing them through their system instead (conceptually, at least, I'm not familiar with the exact mechanism they use). In many ways, this is what makes iMessage so great...it works seamlessly with the existing SMS system that everyone is so familiar with, so there's no need for the average iPhone user to have to put much thought into the process, they can just send a message and it rest is handled by Apple...but that's always why it's much more of a PITA when one wants to switch to a non-Apple device.

The other huge difference is that Hangouts is actually accessible from Android, iPhone, and desktop devices...so even if I switch platforms, at least I can still get my Hangouts messages. There is no iMessage app for Android or desktop client.

It's no different from Moto "Connect" or Google Hangouts for SMS. Just because people actually *use* iMessage doesn't make it different. This is what I hate about some Android users - the blind hatred for Apple. It's kind of ridiculous.

It is incredibly different. With Hangouts, if you switch platforms, you don't have to do anything and you'll receive SMS as normall. With iMessage, if you don't delete your phone number of off every Apple device you own, thus completely removing your phone number as an iMessage identifier on Apple's servers, you will not receive your SMS. I have no "blind hatered" for Apple, and many Android users have Macs. I buy iPhones for my wife and make an effort to prevent her from switching to Android (I think she is happier on iOS than she would be on Android), my MacBook was one of my favorite computers I have ever owned and as soon as a higher resolution (doesn't even need to be "retina", I'd be happy with 1920*1080) Air is released I'll own a Mac again. It is a simple fact that there needs to be an easier, more obvious way to remove your phone number completely from iMessage to avoid these kinds of issues.

You're right. It's different in that people use it and love it. It's only a problem when people want to quit using it. You'll never hear someone who's actually using iMessage say they hate it. It's pretty great, actually. I wish I could continue to use it.

iMessage is great...it's just unfortunate it's only available on iDevices.

It's no different from Moto "Connect" or Google Hangouts for SMS. Just because people actually *use* iMessage doesn't make it different. This is what I hate about some Android users - the blind hatred for Apple. It's kind of ridiculous.

Single user experience here, had 1 out of 3 friends that couldn't text me after I switched from iPhone. I unregistered my phone from Apple's system and turned off iMessage on it but the one friend could still not text me. After he restarted his phone he was able to SMS me as normal.

Apple could fix this with a "disassociate my phone number" button. The fact that they don't is telling.

Posted via Android Central App

Yup, it's like trying to cancel an AOL membership. Anyone else go through that misery way back when?

Originally Posted by johnnyfear

Single user experience here, had 1 out of 3 friends that couldn't text me after I switched from iPhone. I unregistered my phone from Apple's system and turned off iMessage on it but the one friend could still not text me. After he restarted his phone he was able to SMS me as normal.

Yeah, but that's part of the problem...you shouldn't have to get your friends to do anything.